Today, the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, announced the candidacy of General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, for the position of Chair of the NATO Military Committee.
The Chair of the NATO Military Committee is the Alliance's most senior military role and serves as the principal military advisor to the Secretary General and a key facilitator of strategic military collaboration among Allied Chiefs of Defence. The term of the current Chair is expected to conclude in mid-2027, and an election to determine a successor is planned for September 2026 during the Military Committee Conference in Cophenhagen, Denmark.
Canada's nomination reflects our enduring commitment to NATO and to strengthening collective defence and transatlantic security in an era of increasing global instability and strategic competition.
General Carignan has served as Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff since 2024 and has held senior leadership appointments across the Canadian Armed Forces, including operational and institutional command roles in Canada and abroad. Throughout her more than 40-year career in uniform, she has played a central role in advancing operational readiness, military modernization, institutional transformation, and multinational cooperation.
As the process to determine the next Chair unfolds, General Carignan will continue her duties as Chief of the Defence Staff, leading Canada's armed forces through a period of generational transformation and ongoing operations around the world.
